Installing grounding conductors to old ungrounded receptacle outlets.

[Will Wire]

I live in California and we are now in the 2001 NEC. I am planning to add equipment grounding conductors to the receptacle outlets in a room of an old house. Is it code compliant to combine the individual grounding conductors under the house and only take one equipment grounding conductor to the main panel for connection to the Neutral Buss Bar or are all the new equipment grounding conductors supposed to go back to the panel? Thanks.

 

[cadpoint]

...I am planning to add equipment grounding conductors to the receptacle outlets in a room of an old house.

How are you going to a this EGC? Is it going to be a single wire or a new romex with a EGC?

 

[JDBrown]

I live in California and we are now in the 2001 NEC. I am planning to add equipment grounding conductors to the receptacle outlets in a room of an old house. Is it code compliant to combine the individual grounding conductors under the house and only take one equipment grounding conductor to the main panel for connection to the Neutral Buss Bar or are all the new equipment grounding conductors supposed to go back to the panel? Thanks.

Never heard of the 2001 NEC...

All joking aside, my first thought is to go to 250.122(C):

250.122(C) Multiple Circuits. Where a single equipment grounding conductor is run with multiple circuits in the same raceway, cable, or cable tray, it shall be sized for the largest overcurrent device protecting conductors in the raceway, cable, or cable tray. Equipment grounding conductors installed in cable trays shall meet the minimum requirements of 392.10(B)(1)(c).

I just did a quick check, but I don't recall anything in the Code limiting the number of receptacles, or even the number of circuits you connect to a single EGC. The only limitation I've found is the one I quoted above, which isn't really going to matter to you -- if all of your receptacles are on 15 amp circuits, use a #14; if you've got one or more 20 amp circuits, use a #12.

A word of caution: under the house is likely considered a damp location, so make sure you use a wiring method that is suitable for damp locations.

 

[Gregg Harris]

How are you going to a this EGC? Is it going to be a single wire or a new romex with a EGC?

Take a look at 250.132(C) Nongrounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions
There is no requirement to run each back to one of the four locations noted in 250.132(C)

 

[readydave8]

Labor to pull new romex probably similiar to labor to pull a single wire. If the existing romex is relatively old (often is if no bare ground), it may be better to pull new romex.

 

[GoldDigger]

If you pull new NM, you will have the EGC following the same route as the rest of the circuit.
If you do not pull new NM, then the new EGC could take a different, maybe longer, but easier to pull route.

Tapatalk!

 

[cadpoint]

So Gregg,

You want to say that Artcile 250.130(C) overrides Article 250.134(B) ?

I couldn't find 250.132(C).

 

[Gregg Harris]

So Gregg,

You want to say that Artcile 250.130(C) overrides Article 250.134(B) ?

I couldn't find 250.132(C).

My mistake it is 250.130(C) for outlets and branch circuit extension where no ground is present.

250.134 is for equipment fastened in place or connected by hard wiring such as a gas furnace.

 

[Gregg Harris]

Take a look at 250.130(C) Non-grounding Receptacle Replacement or Branch Circuit Extensions
There is no requirement to run each back to one of the four locations noted in 250.130(C)

Changed 132 to 130 as a correction

 

[cadpoint]

The word equipment includes a device in 100 (like a receptacle).

So your tell'n me that I could snake a EGC to all the receptacles and negate Article 250.134(B)?

You or I could pickArticle 250.134(B) apart word for word, I don't see that limited to your
presentation statement of this Article.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I live in California and we are now in the 2001 NEC. I am planning to add equipment grounding conductors to the receptacle outlets in a room of an old house. Is it code compliant to combine the individual grounding conductors under the house and only take one equipment grounding conductor to the main panel for connection to the Neutral Buss Bar or are all the new equipment grounding conductors supposed to go back to the panel? Thanks.

Yes you can do that. As long as the equipment grounding conductor is as large as the largest equipment grounding conductor going to the receptacles then you are good to go. Thus you can have many 14 and 12 gauge equipment grounding conductor's going to the receptacles so in that case one #12 is all that is needed back to the panel.

IMO if you can get back to the panel and you have to fish up the walls I would run a new nm cable all the way around.

 

[Gregg Harris]

The word equipment includes a device in 100 (like a receptacle).

So your tell'n me that I could snake a EGC to all the receptacles and negate Article 250.134(B)?

You or I could pickArticle 250.134(B) apart word for word, I don't see that limited to your
presentation statement of this Article.

Poorly written article with little clarity. I believe since it is not a pressing issue that it did not get a lot of attention when 250 was redone.

My contention is that 250.130(C) addresses outlets and extension when a ground was not available and that 250.134(B) is the requirement for equipment such as furnaces, dishwashers garbage disposals, or any utilization equipment, but the exception one to (B),

As provided in 250.130(C) the equipment grounding conductor shall be permitted to be run separately from the circuit conductors.

An example; a furnace in a utility room in a basement wired with a 2 wire Romex without ground. Electrical service is upstairs at far end of house.
Copper water main enters basement, is located directly beside the water heater and furnace. Customer replaces furnace that requires an equipment ground, 250.134(B) would allow an equipment grounding conductor to be run to the water service within 5 feet of entry.